To help you plan your Red Ribbon Week (and make it as successful as possible), we have collected ideas
for a variety of 'theme' days that you can host all through the week. Use as many or as few ideas as you
need ... and don't be afraid to use your own creativity!

In the community, involve the City Government, Civic Clubs, such as Rotary, Lion's, and Junior League, your volunteer organizations such as the Senior Citizens, and youth organizations such as YMCA, Boy and Girl Scouts.

Have a drawing each day of the Red Ribbon Week Campaign to give away a T-shirt with a drug-free message. Contestants must sign a drug-free pledge and receive some drug-free literature to be eligible.

At school, involve English, Social Studies, Science, Health, Speech, Journalism, and Audio-Visual Communications classes in research and reports regarding the current use and harmful effects of tobacco, alcohol and other drugs. Mathematics, and Economics classes could examine the effect on our economy regarding the costs of drug use, law enforcement, and public health care.

Critical thinking exercises include distinguishing between and evaluating fact and non-fact in advertising of tobacco and alcohol products. Here are some classroom exercises.

Intercom messages, audio or video, can be made daily to highlight the campaign activities and deliver the message of the harmful effects of drug use.

WEAR RED RALLY DAY

Wear red socks to show you're socking it to alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, decorate white socks with red ribbons.

Give an award to the class covered with the most red, award the class with the most people with red clothing, other than their red ribbons or bracelets, give them red candy as awards.

Don't miss a chance to parade in your Red Attire. Plan a parade in the halls, in the street around your school, down Main Street in your town, around the football field, show people that you are down on drug use in our community.

Have a rally at school, invite all the parents and neighbors.

Have a block rally in your neighborhood, dress the block red.

Have a rally at city hall, invite the entire community, include marching bands, cheerleaders, drill teams, and drug prevention speakers. Your Mayor can issue the Red Ribbon Week Proclamation for your town.

Encourage the media to visit your Red Ribbon Week Activities and share the drug prevention message with the rest of the community and state.

Dress your school in Red - make red construction paper window panes for all your windows.

Give special recognition awards to individuals and groups who have made outstanding contributions to tobacco, alcohol and other drug use prevention as a part of Red Ribbon Week and on-going in the community.

Create a Red Ribbon Hall of Fame, designate a special wall or create a scrapbook, plaque or place to display pictures of individuals, groups, businesses, and agencies who have made significant contributions to prevention efforts.

Recognize all the classes or individuals who have won the special Red Ribbon Week contests you have conducted during the campaign, even if they have already received their awards, include them in your list again.

Do not forget your teachers and administrators, recognize the time and energy they spent making Red Ribbon Week a success, let the media know about your extra special staff.

Moms and Dads need recognition too, take time to thank them for being drug-free, or pledging to be drug-free, and for making your home a safe place to live.

Write thank you letters to businesses in your community for celebrating Red Ribbon Week and setting strong role models for students in your town.

Give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done and make a commitment to get the drug prevention message out every day of the year.

Decorate the grandstands with red crepe paper, display your winning contest posters on easels on the field during half-time.

Have a parade before the game or during half-time, carry drug prevention banners, include your school's clubs and other organizations which have contributed and pledged to be drug-free.

Invite your fellow school students to join you in the parade to demonstrate the strength of your commitment to be drug-free.

Start your parade a mile from the stadium, for "I'd walk a mile to be drug-free", invite the media to cover the walk.

Light candles at half-time, turn off the lights, and spend a moment of silence to remember those students who have lost their lives to drugs or the drug use of others, repeat your pledge to be drug-free,

Include all fall sports, soccer, volleyball, cross-country track, and wrestling in your celebration of the Red Ribbon Week Campaign.